First drive: 2012 Volkswagen Jetta GLI

2012 Volkswagen Jetta GLI.

PHOTO: Volkswagen, handout

By Graeme Fletcher, Postmedia News

Originally published: October 6, 2011

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Mosport International Raceway • Since Volkswagen ditched the European version of the Jetta and replaced it with the made-for-North-America sedan, it has gone from bit player to sales success — 20,969 units in Canada thus far this year.

The quibble, at least from those of us who enjoyed the European flavour of the previous car, was that the bigger sedan brought less enthusiastic handling and an antiquated base engine that did little to arouse one’s senses.

Fear not, then — the new GLI more than puts the spice back into the Jetta’s very likeable demeanour.

Before getting to the engine, it’s worth looking at what VW has done to create a serious sleeper. The front end is bolder, the back end features twin pipes and smoked tail light lenses, there are large P225/45R17 tires and the brake calipers are painted bright red. Inside, the GLI picks up the Golf GTI’s thick-rimmed, flat-bottomed steering wheel — which puts some welcomed heft in the driver’s hand — a soft-touch dashboard, automatic climate control and excellent sport bucket seats that provide a ton of support without feeling confining. Of course, being the go-faster model, there are stainless steel pedals and red stitching on the steering wheel and shifter boot.

That’s pretty much the extent of the cosmetic upgrades. However, beneath the sheet metal, the GLI is very different from its more pedestrian siblings. First, the twist-beam rear suspension has been ditched in favour of a much more effective set of multiple links and the ride height has been dropped by 15 millimetres, which lowers the centre of gravity. The net result is a car that has a more planted look and a more planted feel when it’s driven with purpose.

Lapping the driver development track at Mosport International Raceway northeast of Toronto brought the changes home. The body remains flat and hunkered down, while the steering brings a crisp turn-in and very good feedback. There is also much less of a tendency for the back end to chatter out of line when swooping through a fast corner with broken pavement at the mid-point. Indeed, it takes a lot to get the Jetta GLI to misbehave, especially when it’s wearing the optional ($975) 18-inch wheels and lower-profile P225/40 tires. The latter’s effect is such that the upgrade should be considered mandatory.

However, there is a rub. The GLI has a very good electronic stability control system, but it cannot be turned off. There’s no knob nor anything buried in the on-board computer that allows the driver to prevent it from wagging a disapproving finger whenever the GLI is pushed toward the limit. While that is annoying, it’s not the real worry, which is what happens in snow?

Normally, when the traction side sees both front wheels slipping, it applies the front brakes and backs out of the throttle in an attempt to quell the wheelspin. The ability to override the system allows the front wheels to slip, which, hopefully, gets the vehicle rocking and out of a predicament. VW is insistent the system is smart enough to recognize this type of situation and give the driver the needed wheel slip. Time will tell.

And so to the GLI’s powertrain. It earns a sweet 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder that pushes 200 horsepower and a willing 207 pound-feet of torque at a low 1,700 rpm. Power is put to pavement through the front wheels and the base six-speed manual transmission or optional six-speed Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG), a twin-clutch automated manual. Both work very nicely with the engine, although I prefer the seamlessness of the twin-clutch. In Drive, the shifts come early to promote fuel efficiency; selecting the sport mode stretches out the shift points, which maximizes the engine’s sweetness.

Mat the gas off the line and there is some initial turbo lag. I got the sense the engine held back to keep torque steer at bay. Once moving, the GLI pulls very nicely through the mid-range and right on to redline — the DGS model actually sees the engine pull right to the red hash marks on the tachometer before upshifting. Again, however, there is a minor nitpick: After using one of the paddle shifters, the DSG remains in manual rather than reverting to automatic mode when left to its own devices for a short period. This is a minor thing in the grand scheme of things, but having to move the main shifter after taking advantage of engine braking via a paddle becomes annoying.

The addition of the GLI to the Jetta lineup is a welcome move. It has surprising pace (a run to 100 kilometres an hour of 6.7 seconds), a great deal of on-road grace and the ability to challenge a tricky track — or winding back road — without missing a beat. As such it is the answer for the driver who has family commitments but does not want to give up the joy of driving something with a zesty kick.

The Jetta GLI starts at $27,475 for the manual model and tops out at $33,250 for the DSG-equipped car wearing all the options (larger wheels, leather seating, sunroof, navigation and a solid Fender sound system).